Taking things back on track a little, Swype have temporarily opened up their beta for a few days. I'm using it right now and it is really awesome!

Installing it is a little more involved than normal (possibly to ensure you get the right version for your device), but it works like a dream on my Desire. I've only been using it for a few minutes and I'm already faster than using the normal keyboard, and I'm sure I'll only get quicker over time.

Quick tip for anybody trying the swype beta, after installing your pinch to zoom might not work, but a simple reboot apparently fixes the problem for good. It does prevent pinch to zoom from working whilst the keyboard is on screen, and you lose the keyboard's "hide" button (just use the hardware back button to get rid of the keyboard instead).

Edit: I stand corrected as I just managed to get pinch zoom working with the keyboard open. Whilst it is a lot faster than the regular keyboard, you do need to be a little more vigilant for unintended autocorrections. You can adjust all sorts of behaviors in the settings, including prioritizing speed or accuracy (on a slider).

Unfortunately it may actually be too cool, as I can see myself becoming totally dependant* on using it.

When they release a new beta version, this current one will expire and won't work any more, and I can't seem to work out if we'd be able to download the newest one without having to sign up again in the limited time window. Also, I have no idea what happens to us beta users once they've finished beta testing, as their business model means they are only interested in selling to phone manufacturers and networks, not end users.

*well, not utterly dependant, but I can see myself really missing it if I ever have to give it up and go back to the normal keyboard. They do seem to have some competitors, but as Swype is made by the guy that invented T9 predictive text (and some other very clever people), I'm guessing their competitors aren't quite as good.

If you swype from the "Swype" key to the "sym" key (both at the bottom left), it changes the keyboard into an editing mode, and gives you all the editing buttons you find on a full size keyboard (page up, page down, home, end) and others like cut, copy and paste.

If you want to bring up a numpad style keyboard, you can either tap the "sym" key, then tap-hold it again, or swype from the "Swype" key to the "F" key (the middle of the alt-numbers).

Alastair wrote:
I got a phone with a physical keyboard in order to avoid a lot of this sort of mullarky.

Had there been a Desire with a keyboard available for the same low price I got mine, I probably would have gone for it (my previous phone, an HTC S710, has a landscape qwerty keyboard). I'd have been mistaken, as the landscape software keyboard (with very good autocorrection) is just as quick and easy to use as a physical landscape keyboard, and the portrait one isn't far off. Swype is faster than both, pretty much as accurate, and way more awesome.

Also, yay for Android being open enough to allow keyboard replacements! I'm sure Swype would love to do an iPhone version, but they know there isn't any point as Apple would never let it on the app store.

I looked at the G2 and G1 and went for the G1 because of the physical keyboard. I guess I'd get used to a virtual one if that's what I had, but I didn't like it in the shop.
I'll see what's available next upgrade time (at least a year away) but might well stick with the G1.

I'm torn between an iPhone and a Desire. I much, much prefer the Desire as I like the phone, and Apple disgust me. However Apple have that shiny App store, with great games etc. Just wondering how the Android app store compares with the Apple one? If I went Android would I get a slightly lesser service, or are people finding it trully crippled compared to Apples?

I'm torn between an iPhone and a Desire. I much, much prefer the Desire as I like the phone, and Apple disgust me. However Apple have that shiny App store, with great games etc. Just wondering how the Android app store compares with the Apple one? If I went Android would I get a slightly lesser service, or are people finding it trully crippled compared to Apples?

I can't comment on the Apple app store as i've never had an iPhone.
The Android marketplace is a bit more liberal, free trade. So you need to pay more attention to reviews. There's a lot of free stuff available, and for many paid apps you can download a free trial version.
I don't play many games on my phone. I'm not sure if that's because it does't have games that I want, or because I haven't bothered to seek out that killer game. Have a DS and PSP for mobile gaming, plus I drive on my daily commute so no time there anyway.

I'm torn between an iPhone and a Desire. I much, much prefer the Desire as I like the phone, and Apple disgust me. However Apple have that shiny App store, with great games etc. Just wondering how the Android app store compares with the Apple one? If I went Android would I get a slightly lesser service, or are people finding it trully crippled compared to Apples?

I can't speak authoritatively as I haven't used Apple's app store much, but the general consensus seems to be that almost everything you can do with the app store, you can do with the app marketplace, usually for free (albeit the apps won't look quite as pretty).

Except games. There are some good games for Android, but the iPhone wins hands down on that front.

Android will improve for games, but I doubt it'll catch up with iPhone given the much greater diversity of different handsets.

Whilst not every awesome iPhone app has an Android equivalent, that is just because somebody hasn't made one yet. There are lots and lots of Android apps that will never appear on the iPhone because it is so much more restricted.

Its worth giving both a try if you can before you decide. They are aesthetically similar but functionally quite different, which seems like an odd thing to say about two mobile phones.

Also, if you are ideologically aligned towards the more open source/I-own-it-so-I-can-do-whatever-I-like-with-it type of thing then you will find more to play with on Android than with an iPhone.

But if you like to have the latest cool new toy or have invested in the whole Apple ecosystem already, iPhone will probably be better for you.

As for games, I don't really use my phone for gaming to be honest, with the exception of Sudoku, so I can't really advise but more games will be coming out on Android soon - the big established players in gaming are starting to pay attention to Android so expect big things soon. Personally I will leave my portable gaming to the DS and 3DS when it comes out.

Also, if you are ideologically aligned towards the more open source/I-own-it-so-I-can-do-whatever-I-like-with-it type of thing then you will find more to play with on Android than with an iPhone.

This is actually the key. I have serious issues with Apples business practices etc in this regards, not to mention the puritan streak running through it all.

However my last open source / do what you want phone is the HTC Touch HD which is windows based, and possibly the shittest phone I have ever used. It's nice being able to do anything, but actually doing it is far more trouble than it's worth. I was going to give in and go for the iphone until I heard about this Android App store last week.

Also, if you are ideologically aligned towards the more open source/I-own-it-so-I-can-do-whatever-I-like-with-it type of thing then you will find more to play with on Android than with an iPhone.

This is actually the key. I have serious issues with Apples business practices etc in this regards, not to mention the puritan streak running through it all.

However my last open source / do what you want phone is the HTC Touch HD which is windows based, and possibly the shittest phone I have ever used. It's nice being able to do anything, but actually doing it is far more trouble than it's worth. I was going to give in and go for the iphone until I heard about this Android App store last week.

Android (particularly on a phone running Sense UI) is much closer to iOS than Windows Mobile in terms of user interface quality.